Mass drive against liquor on in Manipur, says Biren Singh

Imphal, Oct. 3 (PTI): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has lauded the police for conducting a mass drive against liquor in the state.

A number of liquor bottles were seized during a raid at Pologround Maning area in the heart of Imphal town on Sunday. The police also detained one person in this connection.

The CM on Sunday wrote on his official Facebook page that a “mass drive against liquor is on state-wide” following his instructions to the police.

The detained individual and seized items were handed over to Excise Police Station for further formalities. Well done City police, Singh said in that post.

The chief minister had earlier said that the Manipur government would publish a white paper on the legalisation of liquor in the Northeastern state.

Manipur Cabinet last month decided to partially lift the three-decade-old ban on brewing, consumption and sale of liquor to boost the state’s revenue as well as minimise health hazards caused by the consumption of illicit alcohol.

Women’s bodies and pressure groups such as Coalition Against Drug and Alcohol (CADA) demanded revocation of the Cabinet decision.

“Considering the demand of CADA and other organisations, the government is preparing a blueprint or white paper which would spell out the do’s and don’ts of selling and brewing liquor,” he had told reporters.

The government would not take any decision haphazardly, Singh had said.

A massive public movement had led the state government to enact prohibition through the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act 1991, which was later amended in 2002.

However, despite the ban, liquor consumption could not be effectively controlled and alcohol remained widely available.